by Kelly Goode
‘I found something.’
The excitement in his tone caused Lydia to get up from her chair and peer over his shoulder.
‘What is it?’
‘Another human DNA anomaly.’
Lydia felt her excitement fade as quickly as it had arrived.
‘You contaminated the sample again,’ she said, but Adam shook his head.
‘I didn’t contaminate it last time. I told you I found human DNA mixed in with the alien DNA at the warehouse a few days ago, but you didn’t believe me. Here it is again.’
‘The programme didn’t flag it.’
‘At this stage, the computer programme is only comparing the DNA combinations to ones already in our database; this combination is something entirely new.’
‘And you can really see that?’
He smiled smugly. ‘Careful. You almost sound impressed. Yes, I can see that. I told you it’s my talent. I’m the word search king. Now if I cross-reference this manually, we might get a hit.’
Lydia watched Adam’s fingers glide over the keyboard like a pianist playing an intricate symphony. The computer beeped and a warning symbol flashed across the screen.
‘Fuck, I was close to getting a result that time,’ Adam said, as he pushed his hands through his thick, dark hair with frustration.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘There’s a data match to the DNA, but the files are restricted.’
Lydia leaned over him and punched in her key code to override the security.
‘Maybe you don’t have the right clearance level,’ she replied, but the computer beeped and gave the same warning message as before.
‘Access denied,’ Adam repeated. ‘Maybe you don’t have the right clearance level either.’
Lydia keyed her code in again, only slower this time in case she’d made a mistake, but the same error message popped up.
‘That’s strange. I should have access to all centrally located files.’
‘These files are restricted.’
‘Doctor Malone must have password protected them before he left but I don’t know why he would do that. It doesn’t make sense.’
Adam lifted an eyebrow. ‘Really?’
‘What?’
‘You don’t think Doctor Malone’s actions over the last week or so have been questionable to say the least. If he password protected these files, then there must be a damn good reason. We’ll have to hack our way through.’
Lydia shook her head. ‘Chief Melman already told me Doctor Malone saved some data onto a memory chip which he wants me to look at. Maybe we’ll find the answers on there.’
Adam didn’t seem convinced.
‘We both processed the evidence from his secret laboratory,’ he said. ‘We saw the extent of the covert research he was conducting away from ISCU. He even kept an alien specimen captive and fed it cats, damn it. Do you really think those are the actions of a sane man?’
‘He’s the finest mind we have on alien behaviour and DNA sequencing.’
‘He’s also crazy. I think we need to prepare ourselves that he’s not coming back. Someone trashed his house, just like they trashed our laboratory. I bet they were looking for that data. I don’t think Chief Melman is being entirely straight with us.’
Lydia sat down in her chair, her legs suddenly too weak to hold her weight.
‘We need to keep these results to ourselves for the time being,’ she said slowly.
‘Why?’
‘Because if what you said about Doctor Malone’s disappearance is true, we could become the next targets.’
4
The nightclub was loud and reasonably full for a Tuesday night, which was just how Jonah liked it when he made a delivery. If it was too quiet, he’d stand out, as he was taller than most men, but if it was too busy, he wouldn’t be able to make a quick getaway either.
‘Beer, please,’ he said to the bartender who exchanged an ice-cold bottle for cash.
Jonah took his drink to the edge of the dancefloor and assessed the area for dangers. Part of him wanted to join in with the sweaty bodies, pulsating to the beat of the music, but he knew listening to his inner-beast was unwise during a business deal. As a jaktten, he was wild and spontaneous, which was why he embraced his human form, which was calm and calculated.
Jonah ignored the lure of a keen female in the centre of the dancefloor as she swayed her hips and cast inquisitive glances in his direction. He downed his beer and moved back to the bar before temptation got the better of him. Apart from Janet, who understood their relationship was purely physical, he kept his sexual partners anonymous. Maybe one day he would meet a woman that stimulated his mind as well as his cock, but as it hadn’t happened in the many decades since crashing to Earth, he wasn’t holding out much hope.
Jonah noticed his usual contact approaching and pulled the envelope containing the copied list of names from his pocket. The young boy was dressed in black and barely even glanced at him as he took the envelope and slid it inside his jacket. The exchange took two seconds and was invisible to anyone standing around them. Jonah didn’t know the boy’s name, but he was a reliable courier and ensured any package was safely delivered to his clients for a generous fee.
Jonah considered staying for another beer. He also thought about dancing again, but he still had Blake’s visit on his mind so left the club and hailed a taxi. He directed the driver towards Romford, which was where the Invasive Species Control Unit kept their headquarters. The official role of the government department was to deal with potentially threatening plants and fungus, but really they hunted aliens.
Aliens like him.
He asked the driver to let him out near the train station, so he could make the rest of the journey on foot. Even though the area was highly populated, he was able to sift through the bombardment of human scents to locate Blake’s trail.
Most jakttens were able to track each other due to their distinctive scents and Jonah had honed his skills under guidance from his general. It didn’t take long to follow his nose towards the correct building. Jakttens had managed to live on Earth undetected until recently and Jonah was in no hurry to declare war with the humans unless provoked.
Back on his home planet, life had been simple – hunt, feed, fight, breed, but on Earth, there were so many more opportunities to embrace. Jonah liked his new life. He liked making money. He liked collecting information and trading data. He just needed to figure out how to get what he wanted from inside the guarded building.
He contemplated waiting for Carson to come out so he could speak directly to her, suggest a trade of information, but he had the feeling that she wouldn’t be leaving alone tonight. As much as Jonah had been a good soldier and could hold his own in a fight, Blake had been a great general and a fierce warrior. He would fight to the death to protect Carson, there was no disputing that. Jonah needed to think of a better way to get what he wanted.
Blackmail was a seedy business, but a lucrative one. He had several politicians and celebrities already trapped in his snare. Someone inside ISCU had secrets. He just needed to find a weak link to exploit.
An opportunity presented itself when a couple exited the building. Jonah scented chemicals on their clothing and surmised they worked in the laboratory rather than out in the field.
‘Are you sure you’ll be ok getting home on your own?’ the male asked. ‘I could walk you to the bus stop if you like.’
His companion shook her head and waved away his concern.
‘I’ve managed the journey every other night on my own. I don’t need a chaperone now.’
Jonah detected a hint of irritation in her voice when she spoke, but he knew that if she was his woman, he wouldn’t let her walk anywhere alone. No matter if she thought she could take care of herself or not, there were too many predators.
‘Fair enough, but remember what we said earlier. We need to be extra careful. See you tomorrow, Lydia.’
Jonah watched the younger man walk in the opp
osite direction with a surprising amount of relief and annoyance. Relief that the guy obviously wasn’t interested in the woman he’d called Lydia in a way that would have him insisting on taking her home, but equally annoyed that she was being left to fend for herself this late at night. Working for ISCU, the pair should be hyper-aware of the dangerous creatures that lurked in the shadows.
Him being a prime example.
Jonah watched Lydia heave her oversized handbag higher over her shoulder and then freeze. She seemed to look in his direction and Jonah retreated into the safety of the unlit doorway. His heart thumped harder inside his chest when his eyes connected with hers in the dark. He was confident that she couldn’t see him, but she could definitely feel him there. She was slightly older than the human females he usually found attractive, which was probably why her dark brown eyes conveyed experience and intelligence rather than the usual desire for a good time.
Jonah knew this woman wasn’t the weakest link or his easy way to obtaining the information he desired, but he didn’t care. She’d woken something in him; a sense of responsibility and his inner-jaktten needed to make sure she got home safely.
‘Paranoia,’ Jonah heard her mutter to herself as she walked at a brisk pace towards the town centre. He followed stealthily behind, but every few seconds she would glance over her shoulder. She had sound intuition and he wished she would listen to it, as he was stalking her like he would a deer in the forest.
The sound of an engine cut through the otherwise silence and caused her to break into a jog as she neared the bus stop.
Damn it – he couldn’t get on the bus or she’d know he was following her.
Jonah ducked into an alleyway between two darkened shops. He could run faster on four legs than two. He removed his clothes and welcomed his jaktten to the surface. His body contorted as his true form took shape.
Although he protested to prefer living as a human, there was no greater feeling than when he finally freed his beast. He had to leave his clothes behind, but was able to carry his mobile phone in his mouth.
Jonah caught Lydia’s scent, which was a heady mix of chemicals and citrus, and followed the bus through the streets of Romford until she exited near the end of the route. To anyone else, he resembled a larger than average dog without an owner, but Lydia still seemed wary when she noticed him lurking behind her as she walked from the bus stop to her home. Her brown eyes connected with his one final time before she slid her key into the door and stepped inside the safety of her house.
5
Lydia glanced uneasily over her shoulder, as she finally approached the safety of her front door. During the entire journey home she’d felt as if someone was watching her, but whenever she’d turned around, the street had been empty. A few times she’d glimpsed a dog in the distance, but her paranoia at someone trailing her for access to Doctor Malone’s restricted files didn’t stretch as far as canine stalkers.
She slid her key into the lock and then paused. She could already hear shouting and screaming behind the wood, plus the drone of a too-loud sports show. She should have stayed later at the laboratory for the second lot of test results, but she’d made up excuses for the last two nights and Don had made it clear that he expected her home at a reasonable time tonight. Lydia twisted the key and pushed open the door.
‘Hey, I’m home,’ she called to no one in particular, as she shrugged out of her coat and hung it on the rack.
Lydia wrinkled her noise, as the scent of wet grass and sweat immediately hit her. She followed the stench and liberated a foul-smelling rugby kit from its sports bag and carried it at arms-length to the washing machine.
‘About bloody time,’ Don said, joining her in the utility room as she programmed the correct washing cycle. His large frame blocked the doorway and her heartrate accelerated. At one time, she would put that reaction down to lust, now it was fear.
‘Sorry I’m late. There was an emergency at work-’
‘There’s always an emergency at work,’ he interrupted, his irritation evident on his handsome face. ‘What about your family? The kids are hungry and so am I.’
Lydia wanted to sigh, but refrained. Their kids were not babies. They were teenagers who were quite capable of feeding themselves, but were spoilt and privileged. She couldn’t voice that opinion to Don. She couldn’t question him about anything. She wanted to leave him, but hadn’t found the courage to break away yet.
‘I left lasagne in the fridge,’ she said. ‘You just need to reheat it in the microwave.’
‘We ate that yesterday.’
‘Oh, right, sorry. I’ve lost track of the days. There are some steaks in there too.’
Don leaned towards her and Lydia resisted the urge to cower. He used to play rugby and kept in shape, even after an injury forced him to quit. She held her breath and only released it once he’d pecked her innocently on the cheek.
‘You know I can’t cook steak, babe.’
She looked up into his cold blue eyes and nodded her head.
‘Ok, I’ll cook them after I’ve showered.’
Don didn’t like that answer and squeezed her arm tighter than was necessary.
‘Shower after dinner. I’m starving and I don’t like repeating myself.’
Lydia opened her mouth to protest about the amount of fluids she’d waded through that would probably end up mixed in with his steak, but Don gave her that look that told her not to argue. It wasn’t as if she could tell him about the aliens anyway. He thought she was a nurse at the local hospital, not in charge of alien forensics.
‘I’ll cook the steaks first,’ she said stiffly.
‘Good girl.’
Lydia washed her hands while Don took a beer from the fridge and guzzled it down. She seasoned the meat and warmed the frying pan, all the while fantasising about slamming the metal repeatedly against her husband’s head. She cobbled together whatever edible salad remained in the bottom of the fridge and served the steaks with garlic butter.
‘Billy. Freya. Dinner is ready,’ she called, and Billy immediately charged down the stairs like a baby elephant. Her son loved his food and it showed in the podge he was developing around his stomach. Don said it was muscle and wouldn’t let her correct his diet to cater for less fats and sugars.
‘I put your rugby kit in the wash,’ Lydia said, ruffling his dark hair. ‘Did you score another goal this week?’
‘Leave off, mum,’ he replied, pushing her hand away. ‘I’m thirteen not three, so stop babying me. And it’s called a try, not a goal. Don’t you know anything?’
‘Maybe if you acted your age and washed your own damn kit,’ she snapped. ‘I wouldn’t have to baby you.’
‘Don’t talk to him like that,’ Don said sharply.
Lydia recoiled as she hadn’t heard him come up behind her.
‘You’re his mother,’ he continued. ‘It’s your job to wash his kit.’
It was Lydia’s job to save the planet from invading aliens, not pander to her family’s every whim. That was the worst part about working for a secret government agency. She couldn’t tell anyone about the important work she did at ISCU.
‘I don’t want steak.’
Lydia looked up, as her daughter glided into the kitchen. At nearly sixteen, she had that awkward teenage gait that made her look undernourished and perpetually tired. The fact she tended to dress in black and wear heavy mascara and eye-liner didn’t help.
‘But you love steak,’ Lydia reasoned.
‘Not anymore. I’m vegetarian.’
‘There’s salad.’
Freya made a noise somewhere between a snort and sigh of disdain, as she slumped at the kitchen table and pushed her plate away.
‘It’s just a phase,’ Don explained. ‘She’s a teenager. They’re supposed to be sullen and moody. Fix her something veggie instead.’
Lydia felt her skin prickle with sweat. All she wanted to do was shower and change her clothes. She wanted to scream for them to make their own damn d
inner, but that would be careless. Don didn’t like it when she answered back, and she didn’t like to make him angry.
‘Good idea, I’ll make some pasta,’ Lydia said with forced enthusiasm, as she left Billy and Don dividing Freya’s steak between them. No one bothered to ask if she wanted some. No one cared enough to check if she was hungry. She sighed and put a pan of water on the hob. As she watched it bubble, she contemplated plunging her hand into the boiling water.
Would anyone come to her rescue?
Would anyone care?
‘Hurry up, babe,’ Don called, pulling her from her dark thoughts and she quickly lifted her hand away from the steaming pan. ‘Freya is hungry.’
Lydia presented her daughter with a bowl of pasta in pesto sauce in less than ten minutes, but didn’t get an acknowledgement from her. Don belched his thanks and then took another swig from his beer.
‘Can I shower now?’
Don nodded and Lydia trudged upstairs, grateful to be alone at last. Anger swirled through her like a cyclone, closely followed by bitterness at the direction her life had taken. She ran a prolific forensic unit and demanded respect at work, and yet couldn’t stand up to her husband or kids. She wouldn’t be their doormat forever. One day she would snap and confront Don about the way he treated her. One day she would teach her kids a lesson on manners and stop being their skivvy, but as the hot water from the shower washed the grime away from her skin, she knew that day wasn’t going to be today.
6
‘Hello, are you there?’
Jonah didn’t answer. He always waited for the caller to state their intentions first. He could tell this particular caller was nervous by the staccato breathing pattern that sounded loud against his ear. Truth be told, Jonah was slightly nervous too, as he was lurking in a public street – naked.
‘Is this…is this the whale?’